Knobbling-furnace.



No, 867,861. PATENTED 00T. s; 1907'.y

` W. P. WESTLUND.

KNOBBLING FURNAGE.

APPLICATION FILED MAB. 22, 1906.

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WILI'AM F.' WESTLUND, OF WASHINGTON, PENNSYLVANIA.

KNOBBLINGFUR'NACE.

' Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 8, 1907'.V

Application filed March 22, 1906. Serial No. 307,351.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILIAM F. WESTLUND, a citizen of the United States,residing at Washington, in the county of Washington and State ofPennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful ,Improvements inKnobl'iling-llurnaces;and I do declare the following to'be a full,clear, and exact description of the inven-' tion, such as will enableothers skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use thesame, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to theletters and figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part ofthis specification.

This invention relates to an improved knobbling furnace, or furnace formanufacturing charcoal iron, and it comprises certain details ofconstruction and combination of parts as Will be fully describedhereinafter.

In the accompanying drawings z-Figure l is a central sectional elevationof my improved knobbling furnace taken on the line .v5-sc, of Fig. 5,the said furnace being constructed 'and arranged in accordance withinvention. Fig. 2 is a sectional plan 'view taken on the line y-fy, ofthe same figure. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the front gate detachedfrom the furnace. Fig. 4 is a reduced perspective sectional view of thetop Water-box. Fig. 5 is a front sectional elevation of the furnacetaken on the line z--z, of Fig. 2. Fig. 6 is an inverted perspectiveview of a portion of the front apron, showing the manner of attachingthe same to the outside jacket of the furnace. Fig. 7 is a transversesectional elevation of the flue casting, detached from the furnace. Fig.8 is a perspective View of one of the interchangeable merit or sideplates placed at either side of the furnace. Fig. 9 is a similar view ofthe merit box used in the above mentioned plates. Fig. l0 is aperspective view of one of the tWyer plates. Fig. ll is an end elevationof one of the twyers removed from the furnace. Fig. l2 is a sidesectional elevation of the same. v

The improved furnace as a Whole comprises a fire chamber having arelatively low front Wall and side Walls and a relatively high rearWall, the smoke flue leading horizontally from the latter and Withalfiat bottom.

The improved device further comprises detachable `Wall sections bearingupon the relatively low side Walls and forming continuations of thesame, these side Wall sections having transverse apertures to receivetwyer aprons. Bearing upon the side Wall sections and against theadjacent face of the elevated rear wall and above the flue leadingtherethrough is a cover section .having vertical sides and an archedbottom and forming a Water receptacle.

The front of the furnace above the relatively 10W front wall and beneaththe top section is entirely open, so that free access is had to theentrance to the flue,

. the furnace.

and to the Hoor of the saine. Charging doors are formed in the sides ofthe flue and communicating With the ilat bottom of the same.

The details of the construction will now be more clearly set forth.

To construct a knobbling or charcoal'iron furnace in accordance with myinvention, I form from sheet iron or steel a box-shaped jacket, securelyriveted together, open at the top and bottom, and having a large openingat the front, through which the metal in the furnace is worked, and alesser opening at the rear to` form a fine connection with a suitabledraft-stack. This jacket l, is arranged upon a suitable bed-plate 2,rectangular in form, a portion of which projects beyond the ront of saidjacket, and formed With a flange at the rear. Placed upon this bed-plate2 are heavy cast iron boshplates 3, and an intermediate box 4, withcentral drain 5, the said box being adapted to contain a quantity ofWater for the purpose of cooling the bottom plate 3 of the furnace ifthe operator so desires.

Arrangedover the Water box 4, is the bottom plate 3 of the furnace, andat each side' of the same are placed vin a vertical position, heavy sideplates 6, the said side plates being formed with rectangular openings 8,the bottom edge of which is grooved (9,) for the reception of a flangell formed on the underside of tWyer aprons l0, which arelocked and heldin a horizontal position by the insertion of plates l2, formed withflanges I4, the said aprons being used to support the twyers Whichfurnish the het or cold air-blast to theflre chamber of These tWyers 13are of ordinary form, are Water cooled and project a short distance intothe, fire chamber.

At the rear of the fire chamber is a heavy plate l5, having a series ofair-openings 16 at the top, and at the front of said chamber is a cinderplate 17, through which openings 18 are formed to permit the cinderformed during the process of purifying the iron to run off. This firechamber isfprovided at the rear with a lining 19 for the protection ofthe rear plate l5, and with lining 20 at either side to preserve themerit plates 6. Placed upon and supported by the side plates 6 is abox-shaped casting 22, open at the top and formed With a longitudinalarch 2l leading to the chimney flue 21 the said box forming a receptacle24, in which Water is constantly kept, making a Water cooled top for thefurnace.

Removably attached to the front of the jacket l is a Working apron 30,which comprises a platform formed With suitable legs 31, and means 32for interlocking with cleats 32 attached to said jacket. Above thisfront apron 30 and hinged (26,) across the open front is a piece 25,which serves to keep the stock confined Within the fire chamber, thesaid piece or semi-charging door being provided with poke openings 2'?,and with a latch 28, adapted to engage with a rotatable bolt 29, bymeans of which the said door may be held closed.

i The flue 2l leading to the draft stack is formed by a casting,comprising a fiat bottom 33, vertical Walls With inwardly projectinghorizontal flanges 34, which support the brick arch 35, one of thevertical Walls of said flue-casting being formed with an opening orcharging door 36. This construction of a flue as above described Willadmit of a charge being placed on the bottom ot the Hue and gather suchdegree of heat from the waste products of combustion passing over thesame, during the melting of the metal or charge in the fire chamber,after which time the said melted charge is removed from the ire chamber,the charge in the iiue raked into the tire chamber and another put inits place.

In the operation o the furnace, as above described, from three to tivehundred Weight of metal constitutes a charge, which can be convertedinto charcoal iron by the use oi from thirty to thirty Vsix bushels ofcharcoal in about forty live minutes, at which time the charge is workedin the usual manner and removed.

A number of these furnaces have been built and are in successfuloperation in this vicinity, and it has been demonstrated that the ironmanufactured is equal to the best grade oi Swedish iron.

By the construction and arrangement ot the furnace, the 'lire chamber isformed with removable sections, which may be removed when defective andreplaced by others, the large plates G, at the side beinginterchangeable irorn one side of the fire chamber to the other.

Various slight modifications and changes may be made in the details oiconstruction Without departing from the spirit oi the invention.Therefore I do not Wish to confine myself to those shown and described,but wish to claim all such modified forms as would come properly withinthe general scope of the invention.

1. A knobbling furnace comprising a fire chamber having relatively lowfront and side walls and an elevated rear wall with the smoke iiueleading through said rear wall and provided with a horizontal bottom andwith charging doors communicating with said nues, Wall sectionsdetachably engaging the side walls of said furnace and having means forreceiving twyer devices, a top section bearing upon said side wallsections and against the elevated rear wall section and above the tlueaperture thereof.

2. A knobbling furnace comprising a tire chamber hav im,r relatively lowfront and side walls and with an eleY vated rear wall having a smokeflue leading therethrough and provided with a horizontal bottom and withcharginy.; doors communicating with said flue, wall sections detachablybearing upon said side walls and provided with means for supporting;ltwyer devices, a top section provided with vertical sides and an archingbottom and forming :1n open water receptacle and bearing upon said sidewall sections ana against said elevated rear wall and above the llueopen ing therein.

A knobbling furnace comprising a lire chamber having a relatively lowfront wall and a relatively high rear Wall with the smoke l'lue leadingthrough the rear wall and foi-ined with a horizontal bottom, and withcha gine; doors communicatingwith the ilue, a detachable top sectionbearing upon the side walls and against the elevated rear wall and abovethe flue opening therein, whereby a 'relatively large opening n iront ofthe furnace is produced with the entrance to the llne and the tlatbottom oi" the same accessible through said opening.

4. A knobbling furnace comprisingl a lire chamber hav ing' a relativelylow front and a relatively high rear wall, with the smoke ue leadingtherethrough and formed with a horizontal bottoni and with charging'doors communicatingr with the flue, the top section bearing upon theside Walls and against the rear wall and above the ilue opening thereinand formed with vertical sides and an arched bottom constituting an openwater receptacle.

5. A knobblingl furnace comprising a tire chamber formed in detachableand interchangeable sections, a detachable top to said tire chamberhaving means for supporting a nolrheat conducting' clement, twyerdevices associated with said fire chamber, a flue leadingl from saidchamber and having,r a ilat bottom, and means ior depositing charges ofmetal in the said iiue in position to be transferred to the tirechamber.

G. A knobbling furnace of the class described, comprising a metaljacket, a fire chamber disposed within said jacket and formed ofdetachable and intel-changeable ser tions, a detachable cover to saidchamber and constitutingl a receptacle adapted to support a non-heatconducting element and with an arched lower portion above the lire inthe chamber, a smoke ilue leading from said lire chamber and having achargingr door, twyers associated with said ire chamber, and means formaintaining the charge in said lire chamber.

In testimony whereof, I alix my signature, in presence of two witnesses.

Witnesses WM. G. Wan'rnn, Josnrir ScrmNNannN.

Cil

